Automatic disappearing chair.



No. 841,135. PATENTED JAN. 15, 1907. L. G. FINGH.

AUTOMATIC DISAPPEARING CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 9. 1905. I 2 SHEETSB HEET 1.

THE NORRIS PETERS co, wasmncmu, n. c

PATENTED JAN. 15

L. G. PINGH. AUTOMATIC DISAPPEARING-GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. e. 1905.

QSHEEIEwSHEBT 2,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUTOMATIC DISAPPEARING CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 15, 1907.

' Application filed December 3,1905. Seria1N0.290,983.

T0 alt whom, it may concern.-

' Be it known that I,LEsLIE GEORGE Fnvon, electrician, of 28 South Market street, in the city of Brantford, in the county of Brant, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain. new and useful Improvements in Automatic Disappearing Chairs, of which the following is the specification.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic disappearing chairs; and the object of the invention is to devise a simple form of chair which when used in large numbers inhalls, theaters, and other auditoriums may be all eliminated quickly from the floorspace on ordinary occasions as the audience arise, and more especially in times of panic, such as fire, and thus render the floor clear of obstruction, and thereby facilitate the rapid exit of the audience; and a further object is to enable the floor-space to be divided at any time into any suitable width and arrangement of aisles and arrangement of chairs.

The invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which-.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my improved automatic disappearing seat. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the seat and receptacle. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the latch and rocking dog.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section showing the chair in collapsed position.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

A is the floor of the hall, B the joists, and C the receptacle located underneath the floor and designed to be covered by the trapdoor D. i

E represents double braces, one at each side, which are secured at the front inner side of the trap -door. The braces E are located at each side of the trap-door and have forwardly-extending portions E.

F represents locking-levers, each formed with a recess F, as indicated, into which the forwardly-projecting portions E extend when the door is up. The locking-levers are suitably pivoted and provided with slots F at the lower end.

, G is a rod journaled inbearings G, secured to the floor of the receptacle and having the ends extending through the slots F The rods G have located on them spiral springs G one end of which is fastened to the floor of the receptacle and the other to the rod,

such springs having a normal tendency to hold the arm G secured to the rod and projecting rearwardly from the same in the raised position, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2.

H represents guideways comprising grooved bars having a groove of T-shape form in crosssection.

H represents extension-guideways, which are hinged on the lugs H at the lower ends of the bars H, such extension-guideways being provided with the same size of groove and buffers H at the lower ends thereof. The guideways H extend the full length of the trap-door, as indicated. The object of the buffers H is to form a cushion in which the end of the bars I drop when the seat is relieved by the person rising therefrom.

I replresents ways and are provided at the lower end with rocking dogs I.

2 is a ratchet-notch in the guideways H, designed to be located opposite to the bottom of the rocking dogs I when the bars I are in the raised position. The bars I are held in the raised position by means of the springs J and latches K. (See detail Fig. 3.) The rocking dogs I are formed with a lateral offset J, and the latches K comprise a bar K and a reciprocating dog K through lugs K in which the bar K extends. A light spiral spring K surrounding the bar K, serves to give a normal upwardpressure to the do K L is the seat, which is hinged at the ack on lugs L, attached to the bar I.

M represents braces which connected at the front to the sides of the seat and at the back to the rocking dogs I.

N is the back of the seat, which is secured to the bar I above the bin es I The distance from the hinge I to the bottom of the bar I is equal to the distance from the hinge are pivotally I bars which fit into the guide- I H to the bottom of the guideway, so that a falls, thereby allowing the trap-door to drop flush with the floor.

Having now described the principal parts involved in my invention, I shall briefly describe its operation and utility. When the chair is down, it is in the position shown in Fig. 4. To raise the chair, it is merely necessary to pull up the trap, which may be pro-' vided with any suitable form of flush catch. When raised in the position shown in full lines in the drawings, the seat is then pulled up by means of the handleN at the back thereof until the offsets J of the dogs I rest upon the latches K, which they pass in their upward ascent. By such latches therefore is the seat supporteduntil a person sits thereon, when the weight of the person will force the lower end of the rocking dogs 1 into the notches 2, thereby forming a secure and rigid support for the person. When the rocking dogs are forced inwardly at the bottom, their upper ends are forced outwardly, thereby forcing the springs J outwardly such a distance that the dogs K of the latches K are forced upwardly beyond the offset J by the spring K As the weight of the person is supported entirely upon the lower ends of the rocking dogs I, as soon as the person'gets up and the weight is removed from the seat the spring J forces the upper end of the dogs I inwardly again, so that the dog is on a line with the groove and as no latch now supports it the chair will drop into the recess and in so doing will allow the flap 0 to drop and will carry down with it the trap. The back ofthe seat when the hinge I reaches the hinge H will necessarily fall onto the seat sothat as soon as this point is reached the trap will be overbalanced and fall down and close the receptacle and the seat therein. l/Vhen' the seat reaches the bar G, the force of the impact will immediately depress the arm G, and thereby throw the upper end of the lock- .ingJever forward and release the braces E,

thus permitting the trap to drop.

Although my device is automaticin its action' as to disappearing or dropping, it will readily be understood that if the springs J and latchesK are removed it will not be so, as the seat would have to be raised at the outer end, so as to draw the rocking dog out at the bottom to allow the seat and the trap to drop.

YVhat I claim as my invention is- 1. In an automatic disappearing chair, the

combination with the receptacle, of a trap hinged at one end thereof and designed to cover the receptacle when down, bracing means for supporting the trap in the upright position, a seat recedably attached to the trap and means for releasing the bracing means operated by the dropping of the seat as and for the purpose specified.

2. In: an automatic disappearing chair, the combination with the receptacle, of a trap hinged at one end thereof and designed to cover the receptacle when down, bracing means for-supporting the trap in the upright position, a seat recedably attached to the trap, means for releasing the bracing means operated by the dropping of the seat, a flap hinged to the floor infront of the chair and chains connecting such flap to the bottom of the seat as and for the purpose specified.

3. In an automatic disappearing chair, the combination with the receptacle underneath the floor, of a trap hinged at one end thereof 4. In an automatic disappearing chair, the

combination with the receptacle underneath the floor, of a trap hinged at one end thereof and designed to cover the receptacle when down and lie flush with the floor, braces attached to each side of the trap, locking-levers provided with a notch designed to receive the front end of the braces and having the lower end slotted, a rod journaled in suitablebearings in the receptacle and having the end extending through the slots, an arm extending rearwardly from the rod and a spring operatively connected to the rod and designed to normally hold the arm up as specified.

5. The combination with the receptacle and trap and the guideways secured on the side of the trap and means for supporting the trap in the substantially vertical position, extension-guideways hinged on the ends of the guideways on the trap, of bars located in the guideways and hinged intermediate of their length, the back secured to the upper portion of the bars above the hinge, theseat secured tothe lower portion of the bars beneaththe hinge, means for holding the bars and seat in the raised position and means 0 erated by the removal of the weight of tl fe person occupying the seat for disengaging the aforesaid means to allow of the seat to drop as and for the purpose specified.

6. The combination with the receptacleand trap and the (guideways'secured on the side of the trap an means for supporting the trap in a substantially vertical position, eX-

tension-guideways hinged on the ends of the guideways on the trap, of bars located in the guideways and hinged intermediate of their length, the back secured to the upper portion of the bars above the hinge, rocking dogs pivoted at the lower ends of the bars signed to engage with notches in the guide' ways and braces connected to the'seat and .to the lower ends of the rocking dogs as and for the purpose specified.

7. The combination with the receptacle and trap and the guideways secured on the side of the trap and means for supporting the trap in a substantially vertical position, and extension-guideways hinged on the ends of the guideways on the trap, of bars located in the guideways and hinged intermediate of their length, the back secured to the upper portion of the bars above thehinge, rocking and dc dogs ivoted at the lower ends of the bars and designed to engage with notches in the ideways and braces connected to the seat and to the low er ends of the rocking dogs and springs pressing on the upper ends of the ii'ioelking dogs as and for the purpose speci- 8. The combination with the receptacle and trap and the guideways secured on the I side of the trap and means for supporting the trap in the substantially vertical position, extension-guideways hinged on the ends of the guideways on the trap, of bars located in the guideways and hinged intermediate of their length, the back secured to the upper portion of the bars above the hinge, rocking dogs pivoted at the lower ends of the bars and designed to engage with notches in the guideways and braces connected to the seat and to the lower ends of the rocking dogs and spring-actuated catches desi ned to engage the end of the dogs and ho d the bars up prior to the rocking dogs being tilted to engage the notches in the guideways as and for the purpose specified.

'. attached to the side of the trap,

9. The combination with the trap-door having secured thereon two guideways, one

toward each edge and extending longitudinally of the trap and having hinged depending extensions, a chair-holding receptacle designed to receive the chair when down, braces latches at the side of the receptacle wit which the braces engage to hold the trap-door vertical, a spring-held arm and bar controlling the latches, bars extending into the guideways and having longitudinal movement therein and provided with intermediate hinges, a seat hinged at the back to the bars, braces pivotally connected at the front to the sides of the seat and at the back to rocking dogs in the bar, controlling-latches for the rocking dogs, a seat-back connected to the upper portions of the bars, a front hinged flap for the receptacle and chains connecting said flap to the braces of the seat.

LESLIE GEORGE FINOH. Witnesses:

'B. BOYD, E. MOEACHERN. 

